Harry Potter and the Parting of Ways
by DeEns
Summary: Set after the Half Blood Prince.Harry goes back to the burrow right after his birthday. He, Ron and Hermione discuss stragety to find the Horcruxes. Hogwarts is out of the picture. Ginny tries to get involved, and of course, all hell breaks loose.


**Harry Potter and the Parting of Ways**

Prologue

**Most** seventeen year olds like to drink and party through the night, especially when it happens to be their birthday. Harry Potter was a tad bit different. True, it was his birthday, and he happened to be up this unusually cold summer night. Technically it was morning, 4.00 am, to be exact, but rest assured, he was not partying or drinking.

Harry watched his aunt Petunia's frilly flowered pillowcase shrivel into nothing. He said the counter-curse and it came back to being. He then went on studying difficult spells from a thick and heavy book given to him by a certain werewolf. He rubbed his eyes; he was exhausted and felt as if he hadn't slept in weeks. Actually, that wasn't an exaggeration. He often stayed up through the night, studying and practicing spells, as if he was studying for the end of the year final. But, in this case, he was studying to save his life. It had a very different feeling to it.

Harry continued resolutely, to read complex spells and performed them on anything unimportant he could find. Wand rose at a clock (so pointless when compared to the Weasley's clock), when he heard the chilling sound of a knife being scraped on a window. Harry looked and saw Hedwig tapping the window with a parcel tied tightly around her leg. Harry immediately opened the window with his wand, and Hedwig flew in. Harry was about to shut the window when he saw three owls flying in the distance of the early morning. Hedwig stuck out her leg, nipped Harry's finger, and continued to drink the water that was laid out for her.

Harry unwrapped and saw an invitation and a dead looking rose, that Harry assumed after examining it for a few minutes, that it was there to look pretty. The invitation's front was a picture of Bill and Fleur. Harry noted that Bill looked slightly arrogant, a result of being bitten in Harry's sixth year by a werewolf who was actually in his human form, which led Bill to have the animal's characteristics and a permanently scarred face.

_To Harry Potter,_

_On July 28th, we are grateful to announce the wedding ceremony of our two children,_

_Bill Weasley And Fleur Decour_

_We hope you can make it! Send your R.S.V.P by owl. Thank you. If you look down, there are some stores they registered in which makes it easier for you if you decide to get them something!_

Harry opened the invitation and some pieces of paper fell out. He caught them quickly with his wand; after all he had just turned seventeen and became extremely dependent of his wand (lazy), and saw a picture of the Weasley family in there dress robes. There was Mr. Weasley and Mrs.Weasley, who he noticed looked like they were trying to look as if they weren't frazzled or irritated, which he highly doubted. Ron who looked like he grew some more and had his hair a bit longer then usual, wasn't looking at the camera, he looked bored. Then there was Charlie who was smiling, with a burn on his forehead. Fred and George were standing next to each other, looking smug; Harry noticed there dress robes were extremely fancy, and quite interesting. Fred's arm was around Ginny's, looking like he was strangling her a bit, she was half laughing and rolling her eyes. Harry's eyes lingered there for a short moment, and put it down, sighing quietly.

After thoroughly examining the invitation, and ordering Hedwig with some money in her pouch to one of the stores on the registering lists, three other owls landed on his windowsill. Harry felt slightly disturbed and felt a longing when he picked up the letter that had an H on it. Harry knew it stood for Hogwarts, a school he realized would do no good for him, due to the fact that he had his destiny planned out for him already. Obviously, he thought, with him having no say in it at all. Sure enough, Professor Mcgonigal was headmistress, and as Voldemort had cursed, there was a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Harry highly doubted Snape would show his face anytime soon.

Harry picked up the last letter from a rather exuberant small owl, Pig.

_So, assuming from you last letter, I'll see you tomorrow. Hermione just arrived; she has a bit of a surprise for you mate. I swear…she is asking for the question of, "what the hell?" Oh I passed my apparation test, how was yours? Happy birthday! Thought I forgot didn't you? Well, Hermione wishes you one. And mum. And dad, and Charlie- everyone says Happy birthday. And Fred and George sent something for Dudley._

RON

The biggest owl of all, which kept squawking, dropped the parcel on Harry's leg and flew around the room till it found water. The parcel was vibrating and Harry smiled quietly, and did the spell he used on aunt Petunia's pillow sheet on it. He was just not in the mood, and felt, well, sad for the Dursleys. Unbelievably.

Harry glanced once more at his room. It was spotless. He packed everything, with his wand, obviously, in his trunk. By his bed stand, there was small piece of paper. On it stated what information Harry got from Dumbledore about the Horcruxes, all the guesses of what they were. Harry grabbed it folded it put it in his pocket. He coughed.

Harry headed downstairs. He heard Aunt Petunia's muffled sobs and felt some unusual compassion towards her. After making a drink he sat himself down across from his aunt, and handed the hot drink to her. She mumbled a surprised thank you. "Harry…" Harry interrupted her, "How is Marge's family doing?" Petunia looked up, her bony jaw that usually jutted out, was kept uncharacteristically low. "Better. I can't believe she died, the train collision was so unusual."

Harry coughed, "The reason for the multiplying of unusual conflicts is because of him. There were the unexpected earthquakes, the bridges, metro explosions, volcano eruptions, plane crashes, animals escaping their cages everywhere, and sudden death with not one bit of evidence. Everything… Voldemort."

He saw her shutter and a vein in her forehead stick out more promptly then ever. "I'm leaving tonight, say goodbye to your husband and son. Thank you."

After waiting years for this exact moment, Harry felt a lot of emotions, leaving the Dursley's felt exhilarating, yet he felt at unease. His future was set out for him in some ways, and in some ways he was in charge of the future. After all, it was only him who could destroy Voldemort.

Aunt Petunia made no move to stop him and said nothing. Her eyes kept twitching and she clicked her tongue. Her face was shiny of dried tears and her eyes looked swollen. Marge died two days before and she had been crying off and on. Harry muttered for his packed up trunk to come to him and it did. He said goodbye. She had nothing, nothing to say to him. All his life he lived there, except when he was at Hogwarts, and she had nothing to say, not even a simple, 'bye.'

thought amused Harry in a sick way. And as Harry Potter apparated to the burrow, he could've sworn he heard a "Good luck," muttered by his only living blood relative.


End file.
